


Facing Up

by retrinazambrano



Series: OQ Happy Ending Week [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Outlaw Queen Happy Ending Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2020-04-06 14:53:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19064890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/retrinazambrano/pseuds/retrinazambrano
Summary: The first curse has been broken, and the town are out for Regina's blood. Robin, however, isn't quite so fast to brandish a knife.





	Facing Up

**Author's Note:**

> For OQ Happy Ending week, day 3: wildcard.
> 
> Very, very gently inspired by Boy on the Bus by Nerina Pallot.

It feels like knives are tearing through Regina's lungs each time she takes a breath. Tiny, sharp blades continuously nicking and slicing as she sinks against the wall. She can hear shouts and angry chants way off in the distance and it's deafening.

They're awake. They're out for her blood.

When Emma Swan had come to town, Regina was apoplectic with rage. She was never meant to make it this far, but she had become one hell of a thorn in her side.

First and most importantly, Henry. She knew she and her son had been going through their issues and, at the beginning, she had put it down to preteen angst, but when Ms. Blanchard had placed that storybook in his hands, she'd kickstarted a whole spiral and, when Henry had brought her to town, the mood started to shift. Everything was a game.

There was also Graham, of course, and Emma's assumed role as Sheriff in the wake of his death (Regina blocks out her actions there - that'll be just one more question she'll have to answer, and she knows exactly what drove her), bringing the biased support she got from the rest of the townfolk.

Amongst it all, however, was one shining beacon. His name was Robin Hood, he had an adorable son, Roland, and although he irked her to no end when they first met, that mutual mocking blossomed into something quite sweet. He may not have been awake, as such, though he had his free will, but it seemed the curse really did work in her favour; the only happy ending was hers.

Regina was, at first, reluctant to admit there were any problems between she and her son, but she had eventually confided in Robin, and he let her speak, throw angry words around about Sheriff Swan, just let her get every single drop of negative emotion out of her body. She was spent by the time she had finished, slumped against his side, but she knew then that, no matter if the curse was broken or not, Robin wouldn't abandon her.

It changed her outlook on things. From then on, spurred by Robin's love and support, Roland's innocence and the possibility of being reunited with her son, Regina told herself she would do whatever it would take to become a better person, the sort of person any son would want as a mother.

This newfound positivity wasn't to last for long. A cursed apple turnover she had baked for Miss Swan was her undoing. She'd intended for Emma to eat the pastry and fall into a deep sleep, much like her mother, but Regina had got distracted. Being so focused on her own self-improvement, the pastry sat at the back of the fridge, forgotten, until one day where Henry wanted one of his mother's tastiest snacks.

Emma had been with him as he'd clocked the treat and drew it out, watching as he took a bite. Then, in slow motion, she witnessed his eyes rolling into the back of his head and his body slumping to the floor.

Regina had been in her office when she got the call, rushing straight to the hospital to find her son in what could only be described as a coma, reasons unknown. Regina stood aside as Whale spoke to Emma, asking her to recount Henry's last steps and, upon the mention of just what he had eaten, Regina froze. This was all her doing.

Seems Emma had the same idea, for she grabbed Regina's arm and pulled her to face her, both hands gripping hard around her biceps. It hurt, but it was nothing compared to what was going on right now, to Henry, to Emma. She could barely respond to the Sheriff's biting words, the air in her chest getting less and less as Emma asked more and more.

She eventually managed a keening _YES!_ , telling the blonde that, actually, the pastry was meant for her. That takes Emma aback, loosening her death grip on Regina, moving closer to Henry's bedside. Emma tells her to leave, but she stands strong. Henry is her son too, no matter the circumstance and Regina knows she has to let the woman break the curse.

True love's kiss, she whispers and Emma's head darts up. _True love's kiss can break any curse._ Indeed it can, for as Emma presses her lips to Henry's forehead, there's a gentle whooshing forcefield as Henry takes his first living breath. He sits up, leaning straight into Emma's arms before turning wide-eyed to Regina. He stares at her, even as tears run down her face. Regina manages nothing more than an _I do love you, Henry_ , before she runs from the ER.

And now she's here, in the janitor's closet, struggling for breath. She counts in her head, one, two, as she breathes deeply, then out again, just to grasp some semblance of control over her racing mind. It's the only way she's going to be able to get out of this room, after all, for now the curse has broken, she has magic again, and casting any spell without a clear, focused mind is recipe for disaster. Not that this is disaster enough.

It takes five minutes, maybe longer, she doesn't know, to find the strength to flick her wrist. When she does, however, she's engulfed in purple smoke and, thankfully, she lands right where she wants; her bedroom.

She doesn't have time to reflect on anything at all, the fact that she shares this bedroom with her thief, the little drawings from Roland tacked up on her vanity, the sweet photo of she and Henry propped up on her nightstand. She grabs the first bag she can find, stuffing it with the basics she needs to sustain herself for as long as she needs, as well as that photo of she and Henry and her favourite drawing of Roland's.

She's running away.

She's in such a trance that she misses the door slamming beneath her, the frantic footsteps on the stairs and the new presence in the doorway.

"Regina?" Robin is standing there, confused. "What is..?"

"Robin, please, let me do this," she pleads, but she continues to flit about.

"Do what?" Realisation dawns on him. "You're… running away? Regina, you can't."

Regina does stop then, turning to him with tear-glazed eyes. "Yes I damn well can."

He steps in and attempts to take her wrists, but she yanks them away. "Is it true?" He then asks. "Henry's in a coma because of you? That… that I have all these new memories because of you?"

"Yes." She's not going to deny it. She's too tired to deny it. "Yes, I cast a curse, yes I was careless with my son's life, yes, yes, yes. Goddamn, the answer to pretty much every question you're about to ask me is likely going to be yes. So can you just leave me be?"

Now, that would be the easy way out. Robin could - and probably should - turn his back on Regina right now and march right out of the mansion without a second glance. The memories he has from before aren't new as such, as much as they're new (yet not) right this moment, but he also has memories he made with Regina. The way they made each other laugh, the fact that Roland adores her, how she asked him if he wanted to move in with her to save them both the uncomfortable floors of the forest (with an added you can pitch a tent in the yard if you really must). He hadn't felt that kind of connection since before Marian's death, and yes, he is aware she has done some terrible things, but she was awake the entire time and made such a conscious effort to change.

"I'm not abandoning you."

That makes Regina stop in her tracks. "You should."

"Mmm, and you shouldn't have cast a curse," he replies and she winces at that. "Point is, Regina, you have tried to change. Henry sees that too." Regina's expression shifts then, her eyes are softer, calmer. "Remember? He was coming over for dinner tonight. He knew you were really trying. For him."

She nods. "For you and Roland too. For myself."

"Exactly," he agrees.

"But it doesn't change what I've done." That franticness she was feeling before comes back tenfold and she rushes around the room again, eager to get away before she can change her mind… or have her mind changed for her.

"So you're just gonna disappear, are you? Out of our lives, out of Roland's life without so much of a goodbye?" He's angry himself now. "Regina, you're being a coward. Of course, the town is going to want answers, but how guilty are you going to look if you don't even have the nerve to face them?"

"I am guilty, Robin!" she explodes. "I stole their happy endings, I almost killed my own son. I am guilty of every offence they're going to throw at me."

"Then own your mistakes. What you forget is that you gave them relatively comfortable lives outside of the Enchanted Forest. Storybrooke is a small marvel compared to what they're used to." Robin sits on the bed, reaching for her hand, and although she hesitates at first, Regina lets him take it. "I also heard it was Emma who broke the curse and, please excuse my frankness, but that woman wouldn't know how to break a curse even if she was explicitly told how to do it."

She sees what he's trying to say. "I told her how to break it."

"Yes, you did," he hums, "and Henry is alive and safe. You've made mistakes, Regina - haven't we all? I know the town thinks of Emma as some sort of saviour, but she's made mistakes too. If this town isn't prepared to see the sort of sacrifices that you made for your son, that you've tried to change, that the whole reason he's also alive is because of you… then they don't deserve you. And I stand by that. I will stand by you, whatever they say."

He squeezes her hand and Regina drops the bag in the other to the floor. She sits next to him on the bed, realising all he's saying is true; she's got to face the consequences of her actions. Then, and only then, can she really start to heal and redeem herself.

"It's gonna be tough," Robin tells her, "but as long as you keep looking forward and just try to push away those dark impulses I know you feel … then perhaps those you hurt will forgive you. No promises, no guarantees, but maybe. Just maybe."

She nods and tucks her head under his chin. There is a pounding at the front door and Regina knows it's time to face her people. She stands and peers out of the window to the walkway below and sure enough, there is a crowd, but they seem a lot calmer than she expected. With a nod, she leaves the room, with Robin closely in tow.

She reaches for his hand as she reaches for the lock on the door. "One question, Regina," and she hums in response. "How exactly were you planning to make it over the town line?"

Regina shakes her head and opens the door to a crowd full of questions.


End file.
